An Unforgiving Grip
by Angel's Flight
Summary: Pippin has wed Diamond, and for a brief while, all seems well at Crickhollow. But when unbidden thoughts begin to plague Diamond's mind, where will she go for healing? Who will she seek, and what will come of it? Original plotline and ideas.
1. A Long Expected Wedding

An Unforgiving Grip

"Those whom true love has held, it will go on holding."

__

A/N: I felt like doing something different. Everywhere, I see Merry/Estella and Pippin/Diamond pairings. Well, who ever thought of Merry/Diamond? I decided upon this because to me, Pippin really doesn't seem like the type to fall in love with his cousin's wife. He would be much too timid. But Merry, being about forty-four when this story begins, is bold and daring. And Diamond, well, she's only thirty-one, and therefore unexperienced. You'll find out more about her character as the story progresses. And I promise, I'll try to make it as close to canon as possible. There WILL be a plot, and it WILL begin to unfold shortly. Bear with me.

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Chapter One

A Long-Expected Wedding

The weather was warm and beautiful outside, but Diamond of Long Cleeve had been confined to her room for the day. Indeed, she was likely to be indoors for at least the next two weeks. Surprisingly enough, this detainment was of her own choice. And it had a very special reason.

She was getting married.

All of Long Cleeve had been expecting it. Diamond North-took and Peregrin Took had been handfast for years, and practically the whole North Farthing had shared gossip about their courtship. Old mothers clucked like hens over the mysterious unpredictableness of Peregrin, gaffers covered their ears in annoyance each time someone brought up mention of Peregrin or Diamond, small children would share discreet smiles when on occasion Peregrin and Diamond could be seen strolling along hand-in-hand, and the young hobbit-lasses sighed over Peregrin and wished that they could exchange places with Diamond. Diamond considered herself quite fortunate for having the love of such an admirable hobbit such as Captain Peregrin. His accomplishments were brave and plentiful, and there were his good looks, charm, and kindness to add to that.

And so Diamond was sitting in a chair by the window, stitching her wedding gown, as bright sunshine poured through the window. The day was beautiful, but she had more important work to do. Her dress was pale blue embroidered with the loveliest silver thread, and her dark hair seemed almost black in contrast to the light colours. Diamond was pretty, not in particular and certainly not beautiful, but she was pretty. Pippin had always admired her sweet spirit and shyness, and she adored him with all of her heart.

Diamond could not resist the urge to smile as her thoughts once again wandered to her betrothed. She and Pippin had shared joy and sorrow, anger and love, kisses and arguments, and even a few very intimate afternoons at the Brandywine River (it held special sentimental value to both, being the place where Pippin had proposed to Diamond). And at last, they would share a bond closer than friendship or love. Marriage.

Days later, Diamond finished the last stitch of the embroidery of

flowers on the bodice. There. She was done. Diamond tied a knot and bit the extra

string up, holding the dress up to the light and admiring it. She let

out a soft laugh, eager for the day when she would wear it to her wedding.

Her wedding. To her Pippin.

:III:

Diamond stared into the looking glass, anxiety creasing her forehead. She regarded her reflection with worried grey eyes, smoothing the skirt of her wedding dress. Diamond realised with dismay that it was slightly wrinkled at the bottom. And there, on the underside of her wrist…a button was coming off. Diamond sighed in frustration, nervously tucking a dark curl of hair behind her ear.

"You don't need to be perfect," advised an amused voice behind her.

Diamond glanced back to see Pippin's sister, Pervinca, leaning against the doorframe. She smiled wryly at the Took. "I know," Diamond admitted. "But I feel like I should."

Pervinca nodded sympathetically. "I know how you feel. I was nervous as well right before I married Merimac. I was fretting, running about andasking everyone if I looked alright, making certain the wedding preparations were alright…I was a mess." She laughed ruefully. "But in the end it went by so fast, I'm not sure it was worth it."

Diamond swallowed hard. "Oh?"

"You look scared," Pervinca noted. "Don't be. Pippin loves you, right?" Diamond nodded. "Then it won't matter how your clothes look." She turned to leave.

"Wait," Diamond called. When Pervinca glanced over at her, Diamond said, "Thank you."

Pervinca grinned. "You're welcome."

:III:

"Really, my dear girl, we're so happy you've decided upon that young

Peregrin. He's a good lad."

"Thank you, Aunt Hyacinth."

"But do remember, he's the Thain's son."

"Yes, Aunt. I know."

"Well, be careful to please him. You know those Tooks…"

"Aunt Hyacinth, thank you for your congratulations. I hope to see you again soon."

Diamond sat back at her table, sighing in relief as the old hobbitess hobbled over to another table to offer her advice on some utterly useless matter. She glanced over at Pippin when she heard a quiet chuckle from his side of the table.

"Something amusing, Pippin love?" she asked.

"Well," Pippin said, his green eyes dancing, "you do know those Tooks, don't you? Terribly rough when it comes to the bedroom."

Diamond's cheeks flushed; she looked down at her lap. Pippin's gaze softened, and he gently gripped Diamond's chin and tilted it up to meet

his eyes.

"I don't want to frighten you," he said seriously. "I want it to be wonderful."

Diamond gave a slight nod. "I know. I…I know, Pippin."

He sent her a small smile, then rose. "I'm going to greet the Gamgees. I'll be back shortly."

Diamond smiled back and watched her husband's retreating back. Her husband. Finally, they were married. She felt a tingling sensation as she imagined what would go on that night…

"Congratulations," a voice behind her said warmly.

Diamond turned to see Pippin's cousin Meriadoc Brandybuck standing behind her. She had never actually met Merry up close, only seen him from afar. She wondered at that; even though Pippin lived in a small house in Buckland with Meriadoc and his wife Estella, Diamond rarely saw her husband's cousin. Well, she would be moving to Crickhollow with Pippin after the wedding, so she'd grow to know Meriadoc and Estella better.

"Thank you, Master Meriadoc," Diamond said politely.

Meriadoc gave her a friendly smile. "Call me Merry, please."

Diamond carefully evaluated Merry. He was somewhat older than her, perhaps ten or eleven years or so, but he had a boyish charm that showed through his well-bred manner. He was a Bucklander, of course, and bound to be adventurous and strange, oddly reared. His blue-grey eyes regarded her with a faintly amused sense, and Diamond realised that there was a certain Tookish gleam in them, no doubt inherited from his mother. Diamond noticed a small scar, hardly visible, on his forehead. Likely, Merry had received it whilst journeying about with Elves and Dwarves and wizards on that quest that Pippin had told her about.

"So, I suppose you'll be joining Pip and Stella and me at Crickhollow after this?" Merry inquired.

"Yes," Diamond confirmed. "That is, until he becomes Thain."

"Of course," Merry said, nodding. "Well, I'd best be going. Stella will want to be leaving soon. She doesn't much like the excitement of these parties."

"Good-bye, Merry. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Mistress North-Took—Mistress Took, I should say," Merry returned with a grin. He lay a gentle kiss on Diamond's hand, then vanished into the crowd of guests.

Diamond resisted the urge to rub her hand where Merry had kissed it. He

was a kind hobbit, she decided. She wouldn't mind living with him.

:III:

Merry lay awake that night long after Estella drifted off to sleep, reflecting upon Pippin's marriage to this Diamond lass. There had been some conflict between the cousins regarding this, for Pippin never really formally introduced Merry to his new wife. And now that he had met her at the wedding, he wasn't certain quite what to think.

She was shy, it seemed. Sweet-tempered and quiet and shy. Other than that, well, he didn't know. Perhaps once Diamond came to Crickhollow, his appraisal of her would be more precise.

Merry shifted uncomfortably. It was hard to sleep, thinking of such serious matters as his cousin's wedding. It seemed not so long before that Pippin had been a cheerful, precocious young child who cherished the idea that mud made everyone look better. And now, here he was, married to some lass from the North Farthing whom Merry had seen perhaps twice, before this meeting.

He was upset, needless to say. After all, wasn't Pippin his best friend? When Merry began courted Estella, he went to Pippin immediately and told him. And Merry had even required Pippin's approval before he asked Estella to marry him. But Pippin, it seemed, had no wish for Merry's consent.

But he had to let it go. There was little he could do now to amend things, and it was best to not trouble Pippin with these thoughts.

Merry hoped intensely that this Diamond of Long Cleeve would make Pippin happy. If she didn't…Well, he would see how things progressed.

:III:

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A/N: Sorry about the part about the Tooks and the bedroom; it was simply such a Billy thing to say, and I couldn't resist it ;) Kinda reminds me of the Two Towers Extended Edition, where he and Dom are up in the Treebeard puppet, and darling Billy says, "Reminds me of a girl I once knew…Sally was her name. Terribly rough young lady."


	2. Boating at the Brandywine

** Chapter Two: Boating at the Brandywine**

Pippin studied the letter in his hand thoughtfully. It was early summer, and the warm, cheerful sunlight streamed through the window. Two months had passed since his wedding to Diamond, and the newlyweds had enjoyed settled, blissful life at Crickhollow with Merry and Estella. All had been well.

But there was something that disturbed the sweet perfection of their life at Crickhollow. Pippin had noticed that Diamond seemed distant and withdrawn whenever Merry was present: remote yet still polite. He wished that he could attribute this odd behaviour to her shy nature, but it was unlikely. Although quiet and reserved when around those she was unfamiliar with, Diamond required very little time to become comfortable with others. And since Merry was Pippin's cousin and best friend, Pippin had expected Diamond to accept him as family. Yet regardless of how friendly and warm Merry acted toward Diamond, she remained unreceiving.

Pippin did not know of any incident that could have prompted Diamond's reserve. He had briefly queried Merry concerning this, but Merry's only reponse had been a shrug accompanied by a careless, 'I don't know'. Pippin had been wise enough to decide not to ask again. He hadn't yet approached Diamond about it; and nor did he intend to. Pippin had wisely (or so he thought) drawn the conclusion that Diamond was merely still uncomfortable with Merry. Time would pass, and perhaps the tension would ease.

"Pippin?"

He glanced up from his letter to see a sleepy-looking Diamond leaning against the doorframe of his study. Pippin smiled fondly at her, taking in the tousled red-gold curls, hazy grey eyes, and sleep-dazed expression.

"Good morning, dearest," Pippin greeted her. Diamond came over to him and lay a tender kiss on his forehead.

"Good morning," she replied with a yawn. Noticing the letter Pippin held, Diamond inquired, "Who's that from?"

"Uncle Saradoc and Aunt Esme," Pippin told her. "They've invited Merry, Stella, and us to a picnic at the Brandywine at noon today."

"Shall we go?" Diamond asked.

Pippin sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't know. I can't seem to decide. Merry thinks we should."

"Come now, Pippin. It would be fun," Diamond said persuasively. "An afternoon by the Brandywine River would be very relaxing. And you know I love to go there; it's where you proposed to me, after all. Don't you think we'd have a good time?"

Pippin couldn't resist a smile at Diamond's pleading eyes. He chuckled. "Alright, love. We'll go."

She snuggled against him, her face buried in his chest. "Thank you, Pippin. I love you."

"I love you, too."

:III:

It was a beautiful day along the shores of the Brandywine River, and many couples had taken advantage of this and gone for an outing. There was an abundance of Brandybucks, but a few Tooks had come as well, including Pippin and Diamond.

The Brandybucks had brought numerous boats along, and quite a few hobbits had gone out onto the river. But Pippin, Diamond, Estella, and Merry were sitting at their ease beneath the shade of a great oak tree, enjoying the fine weather and the sight of their fellow hobbits having a good time.

"You must thank your parents for inviting us here," Estella told Merry with a fond smile. "It's a lovely setting, very enjoyable."

"Mmph," Pippin agreed through a mouthful of apple.

Diamond laughed and cuddled closer to her husband. The foursome were sprawled across a large blanket, snuggled beside their respective spouses.

"Merry, would you take me out on a boat?" Estella asked her husband. "The weather's lovely, and I'd like to go out on the water."

A brief shadow crossed Merry's eyes. "I'm sorry, Stella. I can't row today. My arm…" He rubbed his right arm absently.

"It's all right, Stella," Pippin said quickly, standing and helping Estella up. "I'll take you. We shan't be gone long," he added with a fleeting glance at Merry.

Merry nodded, relief evident in his eyes. "Thanks, Pip. Be careful."

Diamond watched as Pippin led Estella down to the riverbank, where the two climbed into the boat. She carefully kept her eyes from Merry's face. Something about him unnerved her. It confused her as well, for she seemed to be contradicting herself. Part of her was perturbed by his actions to her, friendly and yet withdrawn, and disliked his company. But the other part wished to stare at him…stare at his eyes…

What was she thinking?

Diamond shook her head to clear such thoughts from her mind. Just married, and already seeking the affection of another! She wouldn't, no, she _couldn't_. Her attraction to Merry was strictly friendly, and why did she think it was otherwise? No, Diamond was drawn to Merry in no such way.

Then why did her eyes deliberately meet his when he looked her way?

"It's an old wound from the War," Merry explained, answering her silent query. "My right arm's never been the same since. Some days it's better, some days it's worse."

"Did you receive it during the battle with the ruffians?" Diamond inquired, her curiosity piqued.

"No," Merry replied with a chuckle. "The War of the Ring. Hasn't Pippin told you?"

"Some," Diamond returned, twirling a blade of grass absently. "But not all. I know there are some things he'll never be able to tell me."

Merry paused briefly. "Does that trouble you?" he asked softly.

Diamond hesitated before assuring him, "No. I have no wish to open up wounds that need to stay sealed. If Pippin ever feels the need to tell me, I am certain that he will. But until then, let it remain unspoken."

"Of course," Merry agreed. He dared a discreet glance at Diamond, and whilst her outward appearance seemed calm and composed, he perceived the turmoil in her eyes and the concern in the crease of her forehead. Merry pitied the lass. For all the years that she had known Pippin, she'd been forced to endure his nightmares, odd fits, strange fears, and whatnot, and he'd never told her of the cause of all this?

He knew Pippin had his reasons. It had taken Merry two years of marriage to Estella before he had confided in her. Perhaps Pippin would eventually do the same with Diamond. She certainly deserved it.

A sudden strong wind blew from the south, whisking along the Brandywine and taking with it parasols and fans that had been neglected by their owners. Diamond rose with a sudden gasp as her hat was swept off of her head and tumbled down the shore. She bounded after it, surprised to see Merry move ahead of her and snatch it from the air. He carried it back to her with an amused smile on his face.

"Here you are," he said softly, carefully setting the hat atop her red-gold hair. Merry was intensely aware of how close they were, and, needless to say, it was taking its toll on him. Merry's hand lingered on her face of its own volition, yet…somehow, he didn't mind.

Diamond's heart pounded loudly, and fear clenched her nerves. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, she knew it was wrong, and she wanted to stop…but oh it felt so right, so wonderful, so perfect. Diamond's nerves, numb with anticipation and dread and ecstasy, told her nothing of how warm Merry's hand was against her face. She felt a terrible, tremendous ache within her that yearned for what was forbidden… what she could not do…

Why was she feeling this?

Each breath seemed a torture, each beat of her heart was loud and ominous, each blink of her eye drawn-out and burdensome. Time passed slowly, tormenting and long and lingering, until something in Diamond snapped. She gathered her wits and confidence, then spoke.

"Thank you," she said quietly, her words so abrupt and sudden that they seemed to hang, suspended, in the thickened air. She held Merry's gaze for a spellbinding moment before a shrill scream pierced the silence.

"HELP! HELP ME!"

:III:

_A/N: Oooh…the plot thickens…REVIEW!_


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